PLAYER OF THE MATCH DASUN SHANAKA n.o. 42 & 3/27
By Srian Obeyesekere
In a super over drama after Dambulla Aura’s Alex Ross took the game down to the wire hitting a last over 19 to tie the game, however, Bhanuka Rajapaksa swung it back Galle Titans way hammering a boundary and a six in easily overhauling the nine runs for victory with skipper and Player of the Match Dasun Shanaka at the other end in Monday’s third fixture of Sri Lanka Cricket’s fifth edition of the Lanka Premier League at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
After both sides had tied on 180, Dambulla Aura fell back in the Super over fronted by Kusal Janith Perera and Ross as the Sri Lankan, who hit a flamboyant 40 off 25 in keeping his side in the game, departed for 4 holing out in the third ball following a tight over sent down by Kasun Rajitha. Perera slammed the first delivery to the boundary, but conceded a dot ball next delivery that was a wide Yorker and holed out in the third. His replacement Kerr took a single off the fourth and Ross conceded dot ball of the fifth delivery before leaning back and dispatching the final delivery for four through the covers. Full credit to Rajitha who sent down an impeccably decisive over. It was a scintillating finish to a contest enveloped in the feverishly cricket crazy heart of cricket in the city metropolis as fans from all walks of life mainly daintily clad youth as well as families kept turning up to catch the action in the growing night.
Put into bat, Galle Titans totaled 180 for 5 off 20 overs with one drop Bhanuka Rajapaksa top scoring with 48 off 34 showcased by 5 boundaries and 2 sixes in adding 50 off 32 for the second wicket with Shevon Daniel who set the tempo hitting 33 off 26 packed with 2 sixes and an equal number of boundaries. Tim Seifert took over the run charge together with Shakib Al Hasan after Rajaaksa’s departure at 3 for 95 in adding 28 off 18. The advent of skipper Dasun Shanaka after Al-Hasan was bowled for 23 (14, 1×4, 2×6) by Shahnawaz Dahani with the score 139 after 17.3 overs, saw the Titans skipper unleash 42 off 21 powered by 4 over the top and 2 across n an unfinished 41-run alliance for the sixth wicket with Lahiru Samarakoon who made 7 off 4 with a boundary.
Put into bat, Galle Titans totaled 180 for 5 off 20 overs with one drop Bhanuka Rajapaksa top scoring with 48 off 34 showcased by 5 boundaries and 2 sixes in adding 50 off 32 for the second wicket with Shevon Daniel who set the tempo hitting 33 off 26 packed with 2 sixes and an equal number of boundaries. Tim Seifert 14 off 17 took over the run charge together with Shakib Al Hasan after Rajapaksa’s departure at 3 for 95 in adding 28 off 18. The advent of skipper Dasun Shanaka after Al-Hasan was bowled for 23 (14, 1×4, 2×6) by Shahnawaz Dahani with the score 139 after 17.3 overs, saw the Titans skipper unleash 42 off 21 powered by 4 over the top and 2 across in an unfinished 41-run alliance for the sixth wicket with Lahiru Samarakoon who made 7 off 4 with a boundary.
Shahnawaz Dhani accounted for 2 of the wickets at a cost of 37 with Binura Fernando and Dhananjaya de Silva claiming 1 for 32 and 1 for 38 respectively.
It was not the best of starts from which Dambulla rallied the contest to a cliff hanger having lost openers Avishka Fernando and skipper Kusal Mendis for 1 each. Fernando was bowled by Rajitha fourth ball of the first over and Mendis by Vishwa Fernando having faced three deliveries in a continuation of his poor form from the recent disastrous 2-nil Test series loss to Pakistan.. At 2 for 2 after 1.2 overs, Dhananjaya de Silva unreeled a characteristically typical redeeming knock of 43 hitting 5 boundaries and a six in combining with Kusal Janith Perera whose 40 off 25 upped by 4 boundaries and 2 over the top clearly underlined the fact that he was a cut out batsman in form shrugging injury lay off sometime ago.
Alex Ross came to the fore with Binura Fernando for company with his side on 103 for 5 after 12.2 overs after Sadeera Samarawickrama had gone for 13 caught behind by Seifert off Al Hasan in a continued disappointment following his failure to reach double figures in the two tests versus Pakistan.
Australian import Ross, added 36 for(10b, 2×4, 1×6) the seventh wicket off 22 with fellow Australian Hayden Kerr 20 in signaling Dambulla’s fight back, and went on to take the game to the wire hitting.
The Ross final over drama took off after a dot ball starting with 2 off Rajith from the second delivery and going on to hoist the third over long-off for six and four off the fourth and 2 off the fifth from a dropped straightforward catch as the ball popped out of the deep backward fielder’s hands before running a leg bye off the last as the ball sailed to the wicket-keeper. His unbeaten 39 off 28 was filled with 3 boundaries and a six. Binura Fernando was on 2.
Kasun Rajitha’s final figures were 2 for 35 off 4 followed by Vishwa Fernando 1 for 20, Shakib-Al-Hasan 1 for 25.
The Player of the Match honours went to Titans skipper Dasun Shanaka who rounded off a superb all-round performance taking 3 for 27 off 4.
CHIEF SCORES:
Galle Titans 180/5 (20 Overs)
(Bhanuka Rajapaksa 48, Shevon Daniel 33, Shakib-Al Hasan 23, Tim Seifert 14,Dasun Shanaka n.o. 42, Shahnawaz Dahani 2/37, Binura Fernando 1/32, Dhananjaya de Silva 1/38)
Dambulla Aura 180/7 (20 Overs)
(Dhananjaya de Silva 43, Kusal JanithPerera 40, Hayden Kerr 20, Sadeera Samarawickrama 13, Ravindu Fernando 13, Hayden Kerr 20, Alex Ross n.o. 39, Binura Fernano n.o. 2, Dasun Shanaka 3/27, Kasun Rajitha 2/35, Vishwa Fernando 1/20, Shakib-Al-Hasan 1/25)
